The 2010 Retreat will occur August 9-13, 2010 at the University of Pittsburgh's Johnstown Campus. This year's theme is CHANGE (Confidence, Hope, Achieve, Navigate, Goals, Endurance). The Youth Retreat Steering Committee is well underway to planning a fun-filled week full of classroom, activity sessions, and group activities!

The 2009 Pennsylvania Independent Living Youth Retreat will be remembered and cherished by over two hundred youth and independent living staff throughout PA for years to come. What started out as brainstorming ideas from a small, but diligent, steering committee culminated into a momentous event which tailored the way for youth to engage in self expression, relationship building, focus groups, early morning jogs through the woods, and a fine display of hilarity during a talent show.

As the week long retreat unraveled, the atmosphere was filled to the brim with youth led activities such as: The Outdoor Experience, Banner/Self Portrait, Discover Your Inner Chef, The Art of Making Music, Theatre, Scrapbooking, Be A Leader- Be An Advocate!, and Fun Furniture amongst many others. Having the experience of living in a college dormitory facilitated peer to peer interactions that youth can look forward to as many of them choose the path of secondary education.

2008 Retreat Recap
“GPS: Goals Produce Success”

by Youth Ambassador – Edwin Turner

I was anxious to attend the 2008 Independent Living Youth Retreat at Penn State Mon Alto. This was the first time I had been to a retreat since going to college. I was excited to see friends I had not seen in a while.  During the week, I participated in activities that included art, hip-hop dance, jewelry making, and lyric writing. In addition, I observed classroom sessions addressing issues concerning youth in the foster care system. This was very interesting to me because I could relate and reflect on some of the problems I dealt with while I was in foster care. As I was listening to other youth express their concerns, about the foster care system, I took a moment to reflect on how far I came.. During the discussion, I spoke openly about some of the struggles I had to overcome to be successful in transitioning out of foster care.  I was honored to share my story and just be accepted for who I was.

On Wednesday, we took a field trip to the All -Star Sports Complex in Gettysburg. On the way to Gettysburg, I enjoyed the scenic views and saw many civil war battlefields. While we were at the sports complex, I participated in racing youth in go-karts, played miniature golf, hitting baseballs in a batting cage, and ate ice cream. I really enjoyed the go-karts; it felt like a rollercoaster on pavement. Overall, the sport complex was an excellent way to have fun. The following evening, I participated in African Drumming and learned about the history behind the art form of drumming. The African Drumming was a great way to relax and be creative in music making. I had a blast learning and making different kinds of beats!

The final night of the retreat was the banquet. I dressed up in my finest suit and met many stakeholders. I was able to share with stakeholders some of the concerns youth expressed to me during the week about the foster care system. The keynote speaker for the evening was Josh Shipp. Josh was a former foster care youth who talked about his life experience in foster care and overcoming many of life’s challenges. While I was listening to Mr. Shipp, I found myself relating to some of his experiences dealing with the peer pressures in school.  The following day, I left the retreat with a mind full of great memories and lessons learned from that week.

Pictures

Check out pictues from the 2008 IL Youth Retreat:

Music

Check out this years 2008 IL Youth Retreat theme song, "Success"!

Video

Watch the 2008 IL Youth Retreat Video!!